What is the What: Chapter I - V

After reading "The Kite Runner," it was interesting to read a different story about life in another country and immigrating to America. (The author of "The Kite Runner," Khaled Hosseini, even praises "What is the What" on the back cover.) There were some similarities between the two books. Both of the main characters flee from their home country to America to escape war and violence. While Amir in "The Kite Runner" was able to build a life and live successfully in America, Valentino struggles in the U.S. It could possibly be the communities they live in. The Pakistani community in California was rather tight-knit, while the Sudanese community in Atlanta seems more fractured and divided. It was terrible to read about how Valentino would witness the gruesome deaths of others. I mean, it sounds so terrifying to have two boys in your group just suddenly taken by a lion, right there in front of you. Its sad that instead of finding peace in America, Valentino continues to face much more hardships.